Toggle catch for boxes



Aug. 17, 1943. H. n. GREENMAN 2,327,260 TOGGLE CATCH FOR BOXES FiledApril 15, 1942 BGS HA RR Y GHEEA/MAN NVENTORy ATTORNEY vhf-MW PatentedAug. 17, 1943 UNlTED STTLE' S F'FSICIE Y asueto Y y fa'oorcnaca'ronnoaeoxus Y 4azrry D.'Greenman,Nw'York,`N. Y. .Aspirantenapra-15, 19.42, swarm. 43ans ascia-ams. (omar-ray' Myinventionrelatesfto toggle catchesior boxes and; has particular referencetocatches -ffor :looking vwood boxes, .especially of.' 'a transportingarnrrrunition.`

My invention lhas 4.for its' object. to provide a catch Efor 'boxeswhich can be easilypand quickly type used.l Afor to its edges, and which.can :be also quickly and easily opened.

.ScaliV Another object nfmymvennonis .merende a catch which. Acan be-.0pened and. closed 'without any special-ori'ordinar'y tools ordevices, the oonnecting parts being of a toggle type so that they canexert great force in drawing the lid against the sides of the box.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a catch which can bemade easily and cheaply of steel stampings and can withstand roughhandling without being loosened or accidentally opened.

My invention is more fully described in the accompanying specificationand drawing, in

which: Y

Fig. 1 is a side view of my catch in a closed position;

Fig. 2 is a front View of the same;

Fig. 3 is a top View of the same;

Fig. 4 is a side View of my catch in an opened position; and

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing action of the device.

My toggle catch, as shown in Figs. l to 5 inclusive, consists of akeeper I, which is attached to a lid 2 of a box 3 by screws 4, 5, and abaseV plate 6 attached to the side of the box by screws T, 8. The keeperis bent at the middle so that the screws 4 pass through the upper sideof the lid while the screw 5 is screwedinto the edge of the lid at theside of a hook 9. The latter is engaged by a hook I!) of a locking latchII. The lower end of the latch member has a loop I2 for a link I?.` inthe form of a rectangular wire ring. The upper portion of the ring isheld in a loopl I4 at the upper end of the member 6.

The upper portion I5 of the base plate 6 is bent outward so that theloop I4 is spaced from the box 3, while the latch member II is bentinweird at the middle, placing thev loop t2 nearer the'box 3thanithelleop I4 when 'the latch memiber is yin a-l locking position.'Withthis 4arrangement a straightline I6 -(Fig. le) passing through thepoints of pressure Vfb'etween-the hooks 9 and wat the `top `and .loop L2and ring I3- at .the ris .nearer the box than `the .loop I4, so lthatwhile the .latch member remains under tension, ldrawing the lidtightlyagainst the box, a forcegis yreggluired to'. .open thelatch. 1

order to facili-tate opening the latch -membergitheilatter,ieprevidedwith an elbow I'I, extending @below the :loop .I-2 and-.spacedfrom vthebox. Thelatcli canebe opened by; pulling out the elbow, thereby swingingtheloop I2 to the other 'of the .loop t4, overcoming an increased.

tensionoi the Alatch when the yloop I2 passes over ata. Y

Y @pen or .inoperative ,positions of the `latch are showninFig..4-,solid-1ines indicating its position when Athe latch Amem-ber isgpulled vout and the hook I 0 releasedganddottedlines indicatingposielbow of the latch, as shown by an arrow I9, is

considerably smaller than the force 2I which draws the lid against thebox.

A screw 23 with a wing head 24 may be pro`- vided, passing through ahole in the latch I I and threaded into the part 6. Such a screw willprevent any accidental opening of the latch member in handling.

The parts vmay be protected against being tampered` in transit by a leadseal 25 ona wire 26, passingthrough a groove 21 in the base plate 6 andunder the elbow II.

It should be noted that the members I and 6 cannot be detachedfrom thebox without breaking the seal since the head of the screw 5 is partlycovered by the hook I0, while the screw 8 is covered by the elbow I'I.

` My toggle catch can be used with any wooden boxes, especially such asare provided for transporting ammunition and similar articles. It can bealso used for trunks, containers of various types, etc.

It is understood that my toggle catch may be further modied withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention, as set forth in the appendedclaims.

I claim as my invention:

l. A toggle catch for a box comprising a base plate adapted to beattached by screws at'its lower portion to the side of the box, theupper portion of the plate being bent outward and provided with a loop;a link made of heavy wire bent in the form of a rectangular ringrotatively held at one side in the loop; and a latch member having aloop at the lower end engaging the other side of the link, the upper endof the latch member havinga hook adapted to engage a keeper on the lidof the box and to partly cover a screw fastening the keeper to the frontportion of the lid, the intermediate portion of the latch member beingbent downward from the loop, forming an elbow partly covering one of theyfastening screws on the base plate and serving as a handle for thelatch member, the latch member and the link forming a toggle joint fordrawing the lid against the box.

2. A toggle catch for a box comprising a base plate adapted toA beattached by screws at its lower portion to the side of the box, theupper portion of the plate being bent outward and provided with a loop;a link made of heavy wire bent -in the form'of a rectangular ringrotatively held at one side in the loop; and a latch member having aloop at the lower endl engaging the other` side of the link, the upperend of the latch mernber having a hook adapted to engage a keeper on lthe lid of the box and to partly cover a screw fastening the keeper tothe front portion of the lid, the intermediate portion of the latchmember being bent downward from the loop, forming an elbow partlycovering one of the fastening screws on the base plate and serving as ahandle for the latch member, the latchA member and the link forming atoggle joint for drawing the lid against the box, the link being of asuflcient size to allow passage of the elbow upward therethrough forhanging the latch member downward when not engaged by the keeper.

3. A toggle catch for a box comprising a base piate adapted to beattached by screws at its lower portion to the side of the box, theupper portion of the plate being bent outward and provided with a loop;a link made of heavy wire bent in the form of a rectangular ringrotatively held at one side in the loop; and a latch member having aloop at the lower end engaging the other side of the link, the upper endof the latch member having a hook adapted to engage a keeper on the lidof the box and to partly cover a screw fastening the keeper tothe frontportion of the lid, the intermediate portion of the latch member back ofthe loop extending downward and outward with a sharp bend at the lowestpoint forming a handle, the latch member being bent at the middle toallow its loop to be moved nearer to the box than the loop on the baseplate.

1. A toggle catch for a box comprising a base Vplate adapted .to beattached by screws at its lower portion tothe side of the box, the upperportion of the plate being bent outward and provided with a loop; a linkmade of heavy wire bent in the form of a rectangular ring rotativelyheld at one'side in the loop; and a latch member having a loopat thelower end engaging the other f side of vthe link, the upper end of thelatch member having a hook adapted to engage a keeper on the lid of thebox and to partly cover a screw fastening the keeper to the frontportion of the lid, vthe intermediate portion of the latch member-'beingbent downward from the loop, forming l an elbow partly covering one ofthe fastening

